School Bus Driver Appreciation Day is Wednesday, October 21. This sign was displayed in 2014 at Maynard Early Childhood Center.

Staff Bulletin | October 15, 2015

District News

Bus Safety a Priority

The District Transportation Department observes National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 19-23) throughout the year. Drivers randomly select trips to practice evacuation drills. This drill was done this morning. On Wednesday, the district will observe School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day and drivers will attend an Active Shooter Training for Bus Drivers conducted by Ret. Capt. Gary Moore, a 34-year veteran of the Missouri Highway Patrol and now a nationally known trainer with the Center for Education Safety.

Emporia Board of Education

Personnel Report

Appointments

Alisa Milner

paraeducator, Hamilton

Kimberly Brothers

paraeducator, EMS

Janet Hopkins

paraeducator, EMS

David Magana

AVID tutor, EHS

Dorothee McWilliams

paraeducator, Americus

Jack Heinrichs

paraeducator, EHS

William Austin

para/teacher aide, Village

Mary Ann Redeker

paraeducator, Riverside

Arijana Cook

bus aide, Transportation

Ariel Smith

paraeducator, EHS

Samantha Aye

paraeducator, Madison

Paige Casey

paraeducator, Madison

Cassie Heffron

food service accountability, Timmerman

Jessica Collins

OT assistant, FHSEC

Retirements

Ann Fullen

secretary, Mary Herbert

Carol Mitchell

librarian/art, Timmerman

Kay Carl

7th grade math, EMS

Jackie Medina

instr strategist, Timmerman

Karen Myers

language arts, EHS

Mary Beth Janssen

librarian, EMS

Jane King

records management, Mary Herbert

Brenda Kahle

records management, Mary Herbert

Resignations

James Scribner

custodian, Riverside

Rigoberto Aguirre

custodian, Village

Ellen Adee

paraeducator, Northern Heights

Angela Acevedo Felix

paraeducator, Maynard

Kim Sherwood

support technician, EHS

Michelle Webster

paraeducator, Timmerman/Walnut

Claudia Medal

office aide, Walnut

Justin Brummett

support technician, Walnut/Village

Termination

Ashley Hutcherson

para/aide, Logan Avenue

Be ALL in!

Build the future!

Celebrating

Good Things!

Sixth Grade Walk a Success

Emporia Middle School sixth graders raised $7,000 for the annual 6th Grade Walk-a-thon held today on the EHS track. The class presented $1,000 to six community service organizations during an assembly this afternoon. Pictured below are representatives of (from left) the Buck Foundation, David Traylor Zoo, SOS, Emporia Senior Center and Emporia Public Library. A representative from Abundant Harvest could not attend.An additional $1,000 will be given to a staff member to help with medical expenses.

Gravel Ride Champion

Nicole Schmidt, 7th grade science teacher at EMS, won the women's division of the Pony Express 120 Gravel Dash last month in Marysville.

Ryan Karjala, associate executive director of Assessment and Accountability, reviewed the preliminary fall 2015 student headcount report. Unaudited headcount enrollment for K-12 is 4,230, an increase from last year. His report also showed trends in enrollment over the past six years and trends in individual school enrollment the past three years.

The board approved an agreement with the Kansas Association of School Boards to do the superintendent search. A revised timeline was presented to the board, with applications closing January 7, 2016, and interviews of finalists tentatively scheduled the week of January 11. In December, KASB will provide opportunities for groups to identify desired characteristics for the new superintendent. Those dates and times will be announced in the future.

Kansas Avenue Lease

The board approved a two-year lease agreement with the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas for the use of Kansas Avenue. The mental health center will use the building for the Gateway program for youth and expansion of other crisis services.

Federal Grant, Textbooks

The board accepted a federal Rural and Low-Income Schools Grant for $55,372. The funds will be used to purchase crisis mental health support services for students in grades K-5 from the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas.

The board also approved the purchase of new Algebra 2 textbooks totaling $25,500.